How does Climate Change?

By: Mr. Leslie’s Class

Climates of the World

• Climate – is the average weather conditions in an over a long period of time. – The climate of an area determines the kinds

of plants and animals that can live there.

Tropical Climate

• Tropical Climate is hot and rainy.– It receives strong sunlight all year long.– It is located directly north and south of the

equator.

Temperate Climate

• Temperate Climate usually has warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.– The United States is a temperate climate

zone.

Polar Climate• Polar climate has very cold temperatures all

through the year.– Most places in polar climate zones have snow on the

ground all year long

– What causes polar climate to be so cold?• The poles receive the least amount of sunlight on earth.

Why is weather different?• The amount of sunlight an area receives has a

large effect on its climate.

• How much sunlight an area receives depends on its latitude (or its distance north or south of the equator)

• High latitudes are farther from the equator. This allows less sunlight and colder temperatures. Oceans and lakes also make temperatures colder because it brings in wet weather.

Things that affect weather…• Water currents

– El Niño– Wet and mild

• Oceans– Wet weather

• Latitudes– Less sunlight

• Altitude– The Rocky Mountains– Height above sea level

• Mountains– Blocking air masses

Take a guess?

• Maine is at a high latitude. It has ________ and ________ weather.

• Florida is at a low latitude. It has _______ and _______ weather.

Do climates ever change?

• Climates do not stay the same forever.• Much of North America was covered by

ice 20,000 years ago.• Woolly Mammoths and saber-toothed

tigers roamed the Great Plains.